Sunday, August 25, 2013

The Laana-made Type-52 Submachinegun is a very cheap and simple submachinegun, produced by Liberation
Industries (state-owned by the Liberated Worlds government). It was
originally made underground by the ULF resistance on Laana to arm the
guerillas fighting the Machine overlords, but after the Liberation it
has been supplanted by better weapons - such as the Type-84 Combat Rifle
- and now this simple submachinegun is handed down to militia units and
third-echelon troops. Oh, and it is also given to the various insurgent
groups around the sector which Laana supports...

(inspiration for this gun came from two RL simple and cheap SMGs - the Sten and the PPS-43).

Here are a few sketches of it by Arthur Pollard:

The Standard Commercial version is the most widely available and
commonly encountered. It is produced under license on a variety of
worlds, predominately Sicarii and Chemosh. Typical features include high quality finish of all metal
surfaces and real wood on the buttplate, rear stock and hand grips.

This variant - the original - was used by United Liberation Front in Laana's highlands during the fight against the Machine overlords. Maintained, repaired or fully rebuilt under
pre-industrial conditions, the guns see long service and endure
conditions as hard as the men who use them. Typical modifications
include a 'browning' finish on all metal parts, simple leather or canvas wraps and
laces to replace fancier wood or composite decorations, removal of the
trigger guard, and a heavy barrel without the typical cooling shroud. It
is not uncommon for the gun to have two magazines laced together for
fast insertion of a new magazine during combat.

The Government Pattern is an uncommon variant that is, none the less,
occasionally encountered among private security forces or for sale on
the civilian market. The original 'Type 52GP' was produced as part of a
special order of 1000 improved Type 52 submachine guns for Liberated Worlds
Security Forces. While only marginally successful in government service
and eventually replaced by other weapons, it continues to be popular in a
niche market of private security forces that like the rugged simplicity
of the Type 52 and are willing to pay extra for a better quality
weapon. Typical features include brushed stainless steel for all metal
surfaces and molded synthetics on the buttplate, rear stock and hand
grips. The barrel shrouds are replaced with a tactical rail for
customizability and some form of quick aim optics are usually fitted to
the receiver. An improved trigger assembly with a safety switch complete
the upgrades.